Travel to Mazichal village in Mazandaran
Mazichal is a picturesque village with pleasant weather and verdant landscape 20 kilometers southeast of Kelardasht in Mazandaran province, north of Iran. This small pretty village lacks modern facilities such as electricity, tap-water, asphalt roads or telephone, but offers a tranquil experience to visitors seeking an escape from the pollution and hubbub of city life.
The total number of families living in Mazichal village is between 50 to 120. Most of them are farmers or cattle breeders, which live in the village during summer and migrate to lower-altitude in winter.
Etymology of the village name: Mazichal
The theory on how Mazichal got its name is due to the large number of chestnuts trees in this area. In local dialect, mazi means chestnuts and chal means valley. Thus, the name Mazichal refers to the nature of the area, a valley peppered with chestnuts trees. Beautiful, isn’t it?
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How to get to Mazichal?
Mazichal village is situated 2,600 meters above sea-level. Vehicles cannot drive easily on its roads, hence most visitors prefer to abandon their cars and walk to the village, which is ideal. It takes an hour to reach Mazichal from Kelardasht through a charming forest, which includes trees such as chestnuts and oak.
By the end of the fascinating forest’s path, we see the highlands of Mazichal. There are obstacles between the forest and Mazichal, possibly to prevent wild animals from entering the village.
In summer, the farmers from Abbasabad Village come to Mazichal to feed their farm animals. At such times, you often see herds of sheep traveling the various dirt roads toward Mazichal.
Eco-Tourism in Mazandaran, Mazichal
The Mazichal village attracts many eco-tourists throughout the year. What is interesting about Mazichal is that in the course of a day, the weather can change drastically from sunny to a heavy rainfall. The unique characteristic of this village is that when it rains, Mazichal seems to be floating above the clouds.
The topography of the region and the presence of hills and mountains is such that when it rains, clouds will overtake the sky and ground as well, sandwiching the village and its surrounding area. The proximity of the clouds is somehow that the village is floating in the sky, which is one of Mazichal’s main eco-tourism attractions.
Mazichal has so many medicinal plants, as well. A vast area of Mazichal’s hills and mountains are covered by colorful flowers, making it look like a green canvas or a painting by Monet. The annual festival in Mazichal attracts visitors flocking to view its landscape of flowers.
One of the most wonderful flowers growing in the northern parts of Iran, Liliaceae, grows in Mazichal and an annual festival hosts visitors flocking to view its flowering. Liliaceae extends over a vast area and covers Mazichal’s hills and mountains during summer.
Mineral Waters in Mazichal
The region is also famous for its mineral waters. In addition to its beautiful nature, Mazichal enjoys a rich history with cemeteries belonging to pre-Islamic era.
